Part 3

"So, did Angel walk you home last night?" Willow asked Buffy as they walked toward first period, history class. They were both more relaxed now that they had more of a plan to defeat the Judge.

Buffy nodded. "Yup. He walked me all the way to my front porch and then we kissed goodnight. Only problem was that my mom saw us."

"Oh, boy," Willow said. "What'd she do?"

"Surprisingly, nothing," Buffy said with a slight frown. "I mean, you see your seventeen year old daughter kissing her 'twenty two year old history tutor' in your front porch and you'd have a fit."

Willow raised her eyebrows. "Is that what she thinks Angel is?"

Buffy nodded. "It's what I told her last year when I introduced them."

"So what did you do?" Willow asked.

"Well, I told Angel to go home and that I'd talk to him tomorrow, meaning today," Buffy replied. "And then I went inside and I told my mom that I really like him, and that he's a really nice guy..."

"Lemme guess," Willow interrupted. "She asked if you've slept together?"

"Yeah," Buffy said with a sigh. "Of course, I told her with a very straight face that we hadn't. I think she believed me. And then she told me to ask him over for dinner someday."

Willow's eyes widened. "To meet him?"

"Yup."

"Wow. So are you going to?" Willow asked anxiously.

Buffy shrugged. "Well, it's not like I can say no..."

Willow giggled. "Can Angel even eat normal food?" she asked.

"Well, I know he can drink normal drinks. I don't know about eating food," Buffy answered. "I hope so!"

Willow nodded in agreement as they came up to their classroom.

******

Spike sighed as he rolled himself over to a tantrum-throwing Drusilla. "What's wrong, pet?" he asked.

"I want to destroy the world," she whined. "But he doesn't want to play, yet. You do want to play, don't you Spike? Kill the mean Slayer who makes my Angel happy?"

"Of course, luv," he said soothingly. "More than anything."

Drusilla smiled, satisfied for now. Spike looked up to see the Judge walk into the room. "I am ready," he said.

"About bloody time!" Spike exclaimed with some irritation. "My Dru here's getting anxious."

Drusilla giggled and sat on Spike's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The Judge turned his back with disgust. Suddenly, Drusilla pulled away a grabbed a doll nearby.

"Psst," she said to the doll. "We're going to destroy the world. Want to come?"

Classes that day went by faster that usual for the Scooby Gang. When school finally let out, they each went home instead of meeting at the library like usual. Later that evening after they had all eaten, taken showers, and felt more comfortable, they all gathered at the library.

"Okay, so what now?" Buffy asked from her seat on Angel's lap. Everyone had noticed that Angel seemed more loose now. He smiled more often, and even showed more public display of affection for Buffy. No one except Willow had payed any mind to it, though.

"I believe they might attack tonight," Giles said. "Xander?"

Xander and Oz brought the box forward. "Happy birthday, Buffy," Xander said as they set the box down. "Hope you like the color."

Buffy smiled like a little girl opening a Christmas present as Oz once again pried the lid open. "Rocket launcher, here I come," she murmured. She slid off of Angel's lap and leaned down to help Oz. "You gotta teach me how to use this, Xander."

Xander nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Buffy turned to Giles. "Okay, we should look for them," she said. "Where could they be?"

"They could be at the factory," Willow offered.

Buffy nodded. "Okay, we'll start there."

They all piled into Oz's van and drove the abandoned factory where Spike and Drusilla had been taking up house. Buffy and Angel got out to investigate.

"No one there," Buffy said as she and Angel returned to the car.

Giles curse silently under his breath. "Where would they have gone?" he asked himself.

"Okay, so what do we have?" Willow said. "I mean, okay, he wants people, right? He'd go to a place where there's lots of people."

Buffy nodded. "The Bronze?"

"It's closed tonight," Xander offered.

"Well there aren't many places in Sunnydale," Cordelia muttered. "It's not like people are gonna line up to get massacred."

"Hey, guys?" Everyone turned to look at the usually quiet Oz, who had spoken up. "I know where I'd go if I wanted to line up..."

******

They arrived at the mall in less than ten minutes. Willow and Oz got out first since they were up front. Then, the back door of the van opened and out came Buffy, followed by the others still inside. Buffy then turned back to the van and dragged out the box with the rocket launcher. Angel leaned forward and helped her. Buffy let go of the box and let Angel carry it.

Xander tapped her shoulder and handed her a crossbow. "Here ya go, Buff," he said.

She smiled and took the crossbow. "Okay, everyone know what to do?" she said. When she received nods from them all, she continued. "Good. Now everyone follow me in. Take out the lesser vampires if you can and if you need to. Let me handle the Smurf, the psycho, and the Billy Idol wannabe."

She was rewarded with some nervous laughs and she started toward the door.

******

Drusilla stood on one side of the Judge, while Spike sat on the other. He could stand a little for short amounts of time, but he'd much rather be on the wheelchair. He knew that in a short while, he'd be able to stand. For now, he'd have settle for the wheelchair. "Lock the exits, boys," he commanded the other vampires.

The Judge moved his hand to some people passing by. A bolt of energy shot out and every stopped, as if paralyzed. Drusilla jumped up and down. "Oh, goody!" she cried.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a bolt from a crossbow shot out and hit the Judge in his chest. It seemed to break his concentration, and his hold on the people disappeared. He glanced down and the bolt and took it out. He looked up and glanced around. "Who dares?" he asked.

Buffy smirked from where she was standing. "That got his attention," she muttered. She glanced down quickly to make sure Angel and Xander were opening the box with the rocket launcher. Whe she made sure they were, she looked back at the Judge.

"You are a fool," the Judge said. "No weapon forged can stop me."

"That was then," Buffy said. She lowered the crossbow and Angel took it from her hands. Xander lifted the rocket launcher and gave it to her. "This is now."

She powered up the rocket launcher. Spike and Drusilla looked at each other briefly and then they both started getting away from the Judge. When Spike noticed he wasn't gonna make out it on time, he got up from the wheelchair and followed Drusilla, who had jumped over the railing. All the lesser vampires were running to get away. Only the Judge stood now.

"What does that do?" the Judge asked with some curiosity.

Buffy didn't answer. Instead, she pressed the trigger. A rocket flew out at hit the Judge square in the chest. She looked down to see people running in panic, Drusilla helping Spike to his feet and then picking him up, and parts of the Judge all over the floor.

Buffy followed Drusilla with her gaze as Drusilla ran away with Spike in her arms. Angel made a move to follow, but Buffy got down from where she stood and stopped him. "Let 'em go," she said. "No use following now."

Angel nodded and Buffy turned to hand the weapon the Xander. "Best present ever," she said with a smile.

Xander winked. "Knew you'd like it."

Willow walked forward a little shyly. "You think he's dead?" she asked.

"We can't be sure," Angel said.

"Keep the pieces apart," Buffy replied.

"Pieces?" Cordelia said with disgust. "How come we always get the icky jobs?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and took Angel's hand. She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. "Is it over?"

Angel nodded. "It's over."

"Good," Buffy said. "Now we can go home."

Giles stepped up to them. "Not so fast." he said. "We need to decide what to do with these." He motioned to the pieces of the Judge.

Buffy shrugged. "It's your job to think. I just kill."

"How about he throw them in the sea?" Willow suggested looking up from where she was standing, next to half of an arm. "I mean, wouldn't the sharks eat them there or something? And it if they don't, it's harder to find these in the water."

Giles nodded in approval. "That's a very smart idea, Willow."

Suddenly, Buffy yawned and stretched her free arm. "I'll help you guys take care of that tonight."

Giles took pity on her. "Buffy, your birthday just went by. Why don't you go home, get some sleep? We'll take care of this."

Buffy shook her head stubbornly. "No, I'll help you guys."

"All right, then," Giles said. "Let's get to it. Willow, Xander, you get some bags to put these in. Oz, Cordelia..."

Part 4

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